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| International |
| Pirates ’rule the high seas’ |
| 2003-07-24 |
| Yar! Violent acts of piracy at sea have hit an all-time high, with Indonesian waters ranking the most dangerous in the world, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The number of reported ship attacks soared 37% to 234 in the first six months of 2003, compared with 171 in the corresponding 2002 period. "The figures are related to whether law enforcement authorities have taken action or not taken action," said Captain Jayant Abhyankar, deputy director of the IMB. Bangladesh witnessed a doubling of attacks, but hijackings were also up in Nigerian and Indian waters. Ecuador, Guyana and the Singapore Straits saw a downturn in activity. Indonesia recorded not only the highest number of attacks - accounting for over one-quarter of the world total - but also saw the greatest violence used by the hijackers. "The pirates are very effective at getting on board. A boat can be going full speed but they can stop it using ropes with hooks," Captain Abhyankar said. "Ready the grappling hooks, lads! Prepare to board her!" But shipping companies are increasingly able to protect themselves against attacks, he said. Since the beginning of the year, ships have been installing 9,000-volt electric fences to deter pirates from getting on board. Costing $20,000, the fence is highly effective, he said. Wonder how the crew feels about an electric fence on a tanker? One little spark in the wrong place and KAPOW! At least 200 ships have signed up for a satellite tracking service, so that if they go off course, law enforcement agencies can be alerted. But most ships are still at risk from piracy, which is becoming more organised. "There are concerns in the industry that the crimes are going unpunished and because people can get away with it, they are doing it more often," said David Osler, a piracy expert at Lloyds List newspaper. "Hello, my name Hook, I’ll be seizing your ship today." He said some shipping companies were discussing carrying armed guards. "But many companies see this as too risky, as things can escalate quite rapidly. I think they are looking at the price tag on what qualified professional guards cost. "What it comes down to is the need for states to police their waters effectively." I’ll bet the states where the pirates are based are getting a payoff from them, at least the local officials. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 The US Navy gets too little credit for abating this problem by just its appearence in a region. We're a bit busy right now with cleaning other poop on the deck. However, just remember this when the French, Belgiums, etc all bitch about American cowboyism. It ain't their ships keeping the worlds commerce lanes open and their economies running. If we took the position that we'd only come to the aid of ships flying our flag and the flags of the willing, there'd be a quick re-registry of many an ocean going vessel. |
| Posted by: Don 2003-7-24 5:47:59 PM |
| #4 Didn't we see this a couple of weeks ago? Looks like someone didn't get enough attention, and decided to try again. Piracy is very simple to stop: kill enough pirates, and the rest will decide to take up a less risky profession. Arm those ships! Hell, a tanker is the mother of all bombs! If the Captain finds himself in need of detonating that cargo, the pirates won't get a thing, and it'll be all but painless for the crew. Criminal behavior only persists where it's profitable. Make it unprofitable, and it stops, or moves somewhere else. This is a no-brainer. The problem is, somebody can't get a nice, cushy job if the shipping company does it themselves - only if someone like the UN takes over. The UN has been sooooo successful everywhere else, so why not? |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-7-24 3:14:50 PM |
| #3 Yar! Get yer latest news on piracy here, on the Weekly Piracy Report! Uh...Yar! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-7-24 1:36:15 PM |
| #2 Johnny Depp has taken this "pirate" role too far. Somebody wave another script in his face and get him to move on. |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-7-24 9:57:39 AM |
| #1 A .50 caliber machine gun would take care of the situation. You don't need much training to aim that sucker. Why all the talk of 'professional guards'? Why can't people be allowed to defend themselves? Why must it be turned over to the 'professionals'? This is ridiculous. |
| Posted by: Jabba the Nutt 2003-7-24 9:46:45 AM |